Dear Joker, why so seriously out of character? - The Hindu

While the applause continues to ring out for Todd Philips’ new Joker film featuring Joaquin Phoenix, let us not for a moment forget the real Joker who started it all.

This film humanises the Joker, showcasing him as a member of the working class, just about managing to get by, making his living as a party clown, supporting his old mother (who we gradually

realise is not all there). Arthur Fleck suffers from a condition which causes him to laugh at inappropriate times and requires medication to keep it under control. Since he is dirt poor,

therapy is part of social services, which is cut off when Gotham’s funds dry up. Out of a job and out of control, the film depicts Arthur Fleck spiraling into insanity and violence.

There’s been a great deal of awareness and empathy on mental health in recent years. And this film presses all the right buttons. You have a man coming from a depressed background, a

traumatised childhood, with mentally ill mother and absent father. So, when he accidentally kills three white-collar bullies (who deserved to die anyway) he inadvertently starts a

revolution, or so the kindred spirits think.

As his mind slips and he continues killing, the anonymous clown vigilante is hailed by the working class as a hero. So, while Joaquin Phoenix might come away with an Oscar or a Golden Globe

for his performance, I, for one, feel like asking… will the REAL Joker please stand up?

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